


Breakout

by mostlysadstuck



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Blood, Fanart, Gen, Violence, people keep getting hurt, this is becoming revolutionstuck really fast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-01-18 16:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1434655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mostlysadstuck/pseuds/mostlysadstuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. The Arx, the largest tree on Alternia, serves as a palace for the high bloods, and as a prison for the low bloods. Karkat sneaks in to save a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The Arx could easily be seen from several miles away. It is believed that in the history of the planet, there had never been a larger tree. The empress had had a palace built at the very top, though one had to squint to see it through the foliage. The high bloods would live inside the tree, the higher the caste - the higher the living block. Life was good for those of noble blood. Deep in the ground, as far as the roots of the tree would grow, resided the dungeons. They were especially reserved for the low bloods, who had, according to the high bloods, committed horrible crimes and deserved to be punished. Occasionally, blue bloods would end up in there as well, but never any troll with blood higher than indigo. The dungeons were split into five areas. Blocks E and F were where the green bloods were being held. They weren't considered a "threat" by the empress. Their bodies weren't built for combat and they very rarely possessed psychic abilities. But those who did ended up in block C. It had originally been reserved for the mustard bloods, but since those were constantly being used by the empress to power her ships, they just put any troll with weak psychic powers there. Blocks A and B were the largest. They held the rust bloods, who were almost always equipped with psychic powers. As the empress had ordered, they had to be kept at bay at all times. There would be no trolls blasting open walls and disrupting the system. There would be no attacking the guards or the empress herself with psionics. This was easily accomplished by keeping the rust bloods unconscious most of the time. The guards used any means to knock them out, so awful, blood curling screams could always be heard outside the tunnels that led to blocks A and B. The system was cruel and anything but fair, but it worked for the empress. And that was all that mattered.

Karkat Vantas watched from the bushes as a pair of blue blood guards (he could tell by their uniforms) dragged a group of trolls through the forest. They were headed for the Arx, of course. Where else would they be headed? He had spent weeks watching them capture trolls and take them to the big tree. He would sometimes follow them. Like today. Especially today, actually, because one of the captive trolls looked just a bit too familiar. He kept moving alongside the group, being careful not to get spotted. With his mutant blood, he wouldn't even have the right to a trial. He'd just be killed on the spot. The troll he was watching suddenly turned around. Unfortunately, he'd been right about her identity. The small girl with cat-like horns was his friend. Nepeta. Karkat and his friends used to meet up all the time when they were little. They kind of went separate ways when the caste system started to affect their relationships. He thought he'd never see any of them again, and yet here she was. He really didn't want to meet any of them in this place, though.

They had reached the Arx and the guards forced their newest prisoners through a tunnel that lead down to the dungeons. Once the prisoners are locked up, the guards would alert their supervisors of the new arrivals. Then, the trials could begin. Karkat usually turned away and ran off at this point. But that wasn't an option this time. He couldn't live with the guilt of knowing that his friend was being held at the Arx and he had done nothing to help her. He looked around. There was precisely one guard standing a few feet in front of him. He got an idea. It was crazy, sure. But it was the only idea he had at the moment. He picked up a stone and hurled it into a nearby tree. The sound caused the guard to leave his place and run to the tree. He was busy searching the area for the source of the noise, and didn't notice Karkat sneak up on him with a much larger stone. It took one blow to the head for the troll to crumple to his knees. Had he killed him? Karkat couldn't afford to care at the moment. As he was removing the uniform from the guard, he noticed the teal blood that was dripping down his face. He felt a tinge of sadness as he remembered his best friend had the exact same blood color. He often wondered where Terezi had suddenly vanished to. He remembered she had always wanted to study law. She had a passion for justice. Maybe she found a decent job somewhere. Maybe she was dead. Maybe he should stop thinking about her and hurry up. He didn't have that much time to sneak in. He put on the uniform and stood at the entrance to the dungeons. He took a deep breath before opening the door and descending down the stairs. The tunnel was, thankfully, lit with torches. A troll couldn't see a foot in front of them without a light. Karkat tried to keep his hands from shaking as he reached the end of the stairway. In front of him, he could see dozens of cells, holding a large number of trolls. Their hands were chained above their heads, so they just sat there with their backs against the walls, unmoving. Guards walked up and down the corridor, sometimes entering the cells to feed or hit the prisoners. The latter happened more often, usually if the troll was making too much noise. Nobody seemed to take any interest in Karkat as he made his way through the corridor marked with a big F. He searched the cells, found dozens of green bloods, but not the one he was looking for. He decided to check block E as well. He was beginning to doubt that his friend was being held here. Maybe they had already taken her to the trial room. But then he spotted her at the end of the hallway. Her hands had been chained as well, so she had brought her knees to her chest and bowed her head. Karkat made sure there were no guards around, then opened the cell using the keys he had stolen from the guard and knelt in front of her.

"NEPETA?" he whispered.

Her head perked up. "karkat?"


	2. Chapter 2

"karkat?"

She smiled. It had been years since Karkat last saw her, but she hadn't changed that much. Her hair had grown a bit, so now it resembled a lion's mane, as did her teeth. She probably could have bitten someone's finger off, was she given the chance. She hadn't grown that much in size, though. Neither had Karkat. The only thing that had really changed was her voice. Karkat remembered she had always had a high, childlike voice. Now, it sounded more mature. Her face was scratched up; she must have put up a fight when she was captured.

"GOD, NEPETA. WHAT ARE DOING HERE? DOESN'T MATTER, I'M GETTING YOU OUT."

Her smile faded. "how? there are guards everywhere. karkat, how did you even get in here?"

"NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW." He glanced around and lowered his voice. "WE'LL NEED TO ESCAPE WHEN THEY'RE NOT LOOKING. THE VERY FIRST CHANCE WE GET."

She shook her head. "that will be hard. i noticed they work in shifts, but they are always watching."

He thought for a while. "OKAY, NOBODY NOTICED ANYTHING STRANGE WHEN I SNEAKED IN. I'LL JUST TAKE A SHIFT AND WE'LL USE IT TO ESCAPE."

She seemed to consider that idea. "sounds okay ... just be careful."

"IT'LL BE FINE. I'LL GO CLAIM A SHIFT RIGHT NOW. DON'T LET THEM GET TO YOU, OKAY?"

"okay."

He locked the cell, gave Nepeta one last wink, and left. He figured he'd have to find someone in charge here. He found an indigo blood nearby. He was attempting to write something down, but the pencils kept snapping in half. This guy would do.

"EXCUSE ME."

The troll turned towards him. Oh, fuck. He recognized this one too. They used to hang out sometimes. But he was especially close to Nepeta. Did he work here now? Karkat hoped the troll wouldn't recognize him.

"Yes? What do you inquire?" It was him, all right. His voice was much deeper now, that alone could make a troll shrink to the floor. And he had grown. He was like a small building on feet. Karkat struggled to speak.

"Well?" He was getting impatient. Karkat didn't want his face to meet his fist, so he forced himself to speak.

"YEAH, I ... I WANT TO REQUEST A SHIFT. PREFERABLY DURING DAYTIME HOURS."

The troll raised an eyebrow. "There is a place open during that time. But why, if I may ask, do you wish to occupy it?"

"WELL, I ... I CAN'T SLEEP VERY WELL THESE DAYS, SO I THOUGHT I'D MAKE THE BEST OF IT AND SERVE THE EMPIRE." This had to be the stupidest excuse ever made, but he seemed to be buying it.

"Certainly. It is our duty to serve the empire." He squinted his eyes at him. Karkat lowered his head. "Here." He handed him the notepad and half of a pencil. "Write it down yourself. Your shift takes place from 3 to 5."

Karkat wrote down the time, muttered a thank you, and turned around. As he walked, he could feel the troll's cold eyes on him.

He made his way back. Trolls stood in front of the cells, holding bowls. Must be feeding time. Perfect. He took a bowl of what seemed to be soup from a troll.

"I'LL HANDLE THIS."

The troll (another green blood) didn't protest. Karkat found Nepeta's cell and knelt in front of her again. She looked at him expectantly.

"EQUIUS IS HERE," he whispered.

"what?!"

Karkat shoved a spoonful of soup in her mouth. "KEEP IT DOWN." He glanced around. Thankfully, nobody had noticed.

She swallowed and spoke in a more hushed tone. "but, equius is here? fur sure?"

"YES, HE'S THE ONE I GOT PERMISSION FOR A SHIFT FROM. WE'LL BREAK OUT AT 3."

"karkat, he can help us! i know he would!"

"NEPETA, I DON'T KNOW. HE DIDN'T SEEM TO RECOGNIZE ME. I KNOW YOU WERE MOIRAILS ONCE, BUT ..."

"we're still moirails! we just ... well, we sort of went separate ways ..." She looked at the ground.

"LOOK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S LIKE NOW. HE WAS ALWAYS SO DEVOTED TO THE CASTE SYSTEM. NOW HE'S FOUND A JOB THAT IS PERFECT FOR HIM. WHY WOULD HE HELP TWO LOW BLOODS, ANYWAY?"

She looked him right in the eyes. "just give him a chance. please."

Karkat sighed. "YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE. WE'LL SEE IF HE'S WILLING TO HELP US. BUT WE'RE STILL ESCAPING. WITH OR WITHOUT HIS HELP. NOW EAT YOUR FUCKING SOUP." He shoved another spoon into her mouth.

Karkat dragged his feet to the bedrooms. He still had a few hours of sleep left before his shift. Then, they would have to be quick and, more importantly, quiet. He hoped it would work. They couldn't afford to fail. He suddenly felt two strong hands grab him by the shoulders and turn him around. Equius stared into his eyes. Karkat could do nothing but stand still. Not only because he was terrified; Equius's grip on him was too strong. He couldn't move. They stood like this for what felt like forever, then Equius let go of him.

"I knew it was you. Finally decided to show the color of your blood?" He motioned to Karkat's uniform. Oh, yeah. The troll which Karkat had got it from was a teal blood. It was the color of his badge. Equius nodded his head. "That's good. You've finally found your place."

Karkat stood there, rubbing his arms. He had to decide now. Trust the big guy or not? Nepeta clearly did. He let out a breath.

"LOOK, EQUIUS ... IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. I ... I HAD TO BREAK IN." He watched as Equius lowered his eyebrows. No stopping now. "NEPETA'S HERE." His eyes widened. "WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GET OUT. PLEASE."

Equius just stared at him for a while, not saying a word. Then he put a hand to his temple. "You realize I have to report this to the empress immediately." Fuck, there went their only chance. It was all over. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't hesitate. But this isn't one. You are my friends. And I promised Nepeta I would always protect her." He looked at the ceiling. "I assume you were planning to escape during your shift. That simply won't do. You didn't think they would entrust the guarding of the entire tree to just one troll, did you? There are guards everywhere. Constantly patrolling the blocks. At the entrance. You would need to sneak out through a secret tunnel." He looked at Karkat once more. "We shall discuss this another time. Don't be late to your shift." He turned around and went the opposite way. "And don't try anything foolish. I can assure you, you will regret it."


	3. Chapter 3

Karkat rushed to block E. He didn't want to be late. He had decided to trust Equius. But what was he planning? He had said they would talk about this another time. Time was the one thing they didn't have. He didn't want Nepeta to get hurt. She still had to go through a trial, and then what? What was she even charged with? Trolls were brought here for the dumbest of reasons. He had overheard some guards talking about a pair of rust bloods getting captured for "stealing" fruit from the empress' trees. But everything belonged to the empress. From the largest tree to the smallest pebble on the ground. Ridiculous. The rust bloods would probably never get out. He was sure of that. He arrived to the block he was going to guard for a couple of hours. The escape plan was ruined, but at least he would get the chance to talk to Nepeta. When the guard saw him, he nodded his head and left with a yawn. He was now alone in the hallway. He was tempted to just grab Nepeta and make a run for it, but Equius had said there were guards everywhere. He sighed and approached the cells. All the captive trolls were asleep. Nepeta's ear flinched as he carefully unlocked the cell. Some other trolls stirred, but none woke up. Karkat sat down next to his friend. She was looking up at him expectantly.

"CHANGE OF PLANS," he mumbled. "WE'RE NOT BREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW."

"but ... you spoke to equius?"

"YEAH, HE SAID HE HAS A PLAN. HE'LL HELP US. PROBABLY."

She smiled. "s33? he does remember you! i told you! so? what's his plan?"

"I DON'T KNOW YET. HE SAID WE'D TALK ABOUT IT LATER."

"i'm sure it's a good plan, whatever it is." She closed her eyes.

"I JUST HOPE HE THINKS OF IT FAST. WHEN'S YOUR TRIAL?"

"i don't know. the seamstress is coming tomorrow to make uniforms for all the new prisoners."

Each locked up troll had to wear a "uniform", which was just a pair of pants and a shirt. It was made from a simple fabric, not thick enough to keep the trolls warm, and it had each prisoner's blood smeared across it. That made it easier to determine the prisoner's place on the hemospectrum.

"after that we purrobably have a few more days before the trials begin."

Karkat nodded. "ALRIGHT. I'LL TALK TO EQUIUS THE FIRST CHANCE I GET." He heard footsteps coming their way. "SOMEONE'S COMING. I'LL BE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CELL, OKAY?"

"okay."

He quickly locked the cell door and stood outside. Good thing he did, because a guard passed through the hallway, looking at every cell, checking the locks. Equius had been right. They wouldn't trust just one troll with all of this. Three more trolls passed by, one every hour. Then, the last one said she would take it from there. Karkat glanced at Nepeta before leaving. She was asleep.

...

It was a loud bell that woke Nepeta up. There were two guards outside the cells, waking up all the trolls, and already barking instructions.

"Alright! Rise and shine, criminals! The seamstress will come and make you some new clothing! You will not attack her or you will be very, very sorry! Is that clear?"

Silence.

"Good. Now, let's get started."

Nepeta's cell was located at the end of the hallway, so she had to wait awhile. She could hear yelps from others as blood samples were collected. Finally, the guard unlocked her door and the seamstress stepped in. Nepeta kept her head low. She just wanted this to be over.

"You're Quite Small, If I May Say. I'll Have To Shorten These Sleeves."

Nepeta recognized that voice. The way she spoke. She glanced up.

"kanaya?"

The troll stopped cutting the fabric and stared at her. "Yes, That Is My Name. How Did You ... Wait, Nepeta?"

"yeah." Nepeta felt relief wash over her. "yeah, it's me."

"What ..." She was cut off by the guard.

"Is something wrong in there?"

Kanaya turned around and waved her hand. "No, Nothing's Wrong. I Simply Cut Off A Much Too Big Piece. I Shall Shorten It Immediately." She turned back to Nepeta and lowered her voice. "Why Are You Here?"

"i attacked a guard in the furest," huffed Nepeta. "they had me surrounded in seconds."

"When Is Your Trial?"

Nepeta shrugged.

"Hang In There. I Wish I Could Help ..."

"purrhaps you can. karkat is here too." She saw Kanaya's eyes widen in worry. "he's not a purrisoner. he sneaked in to get me out. we're planning on escaping. equius is helping us too."

Kanaya bit her lower lip. "I Don't Know, Nepeta. This Is Beyond Insane ..."

"well, what else can we do? stay here to rot? kanaya, we could get you out as well. we could all get out."

Kanaya shushed her. "I Shall Think About It. But For Now We're Out Of Time. Hold Still." She unlocked the shackles that bounded Nepeta's wrists. "Hold Out Your Arm, Please. I'll Try To Be Quick." She made a small cut across Nepeta's arm, drawing olive blood. She smeared the blood on the fabric. I Shall Leave You To Get Dressed Now. We'll Talk Another Time." She gathered her things and left.

Nepeta thought as she put on the uniform. How many of her friends were here? They would have to get out. All of them. No troll gets left behind. She had to tell Karkat that Kanaya was here. The guard came in and bound her hands again. She was left alone to think of a plan.


	4. Chapter 4

Karkat cursed under his breath as he walked through the heavily decorated halls of the Arx. He had been called up there to deliver lunch for the guards outside. Another day wasted. He wanted to talk to Nepeta, see how she was doing. And where the fuck was Equius? He wanted to get out. Every second at this place was pure horror for him. He was constantly alert, always careful not to blush or let anyone stare into his eyes for too long. Though he was still young, his eyes were already beginning to color. Bright red, of course. Yeah, that's totally normal for trolls. To have bright red blood. All trolls have it. Totally not a mutation that is always punished with death or anything. He felt like a little nut creature who had wandered into a cave full of beasts, all waiting to tear him apart. He walked faster. As he passed the court room, he noticed the door was slightly open. It was another terrible idea, but he was curious. He carefully peeked inside. A troll was right in the middle of her trial at that moment. A green blood, thankfully not Nepeta. He listened as the judge, a teal blood, of course, spoke of all the treason the troll had committed. Spitting at a violet blood, refusing to obey orders, et cetera. It amazed him that the troll was taking it so calmly. She kept nodding as the judge spoke, agreeing and admitting all those vile crimes. As he was about to give judgment, Karkat suddenly felt a pair of arms grab him from behind and yank him away from the door. His first thought was that he would immediately find himself in that court room, kneeling beside the troll. They had found out he wasn't actually a guard. That he was a mutant. That he was helping others escape. He tried to escape the grasp, but couldn't. The troll pinned him against a wall. Karkat found himself staring into a pair of bright red eyes. Almost dragon-like. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. The troll began to say something, but then stopped. With one hand still pinning him to the wall,she slowly trailed the features of his face with the other. Then she put her face on his neck and stayed like this for some time. Karkat didn't know what to say at this point. Was she ... sniffing him?

"1 ONLY KNOW ON3 TROLL W1TH CH3RRY R3D BLOOD," she mumbled from his neck. She pulled away from him and smiled widely, showing her sharp teeth. "K4RK4T!" She pulled him into a tight hug.

"WAIT ... TEREZI?" She was completely different from when he last saw her sweeps ago. Her hair, which she had always kept at shoulder length, was longer, now reaching the middle of her back. She had grown too; she was much taller than him. But the thing that had nearly made him scream earlier were her eyes. They were totally red. What had happened?

"TEREZI, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR EYES? CAN YOU SEE?"

She frowned. "NO, 4CTU4LLY, 1 C4N'T. 1T'S B33N L1K3 TH1S FOR 4BOUT H4LF 4 SW33P NOW."

"BUT, WHO DID THIS?"

"R3M3MB3R VR1SK4?"

"VRISKA ... THE SPIDER BITCH?" Figures, she had had a reputation for always causing trouble. But, Terezi and her were like sisters. She wouldn't do this to her, would she?

"Y3S, 3X4CTLY H3R. W3, UH, GOT 1NTO 4N 4RGU3M3NT. SH3 TOOK R3V3NG3 4 L1TTL3 B1T TOO S3R1OUSLY."

"FUCK, I'M SORRY."

Terezi shook her head. "NO N33D FOR TH4T. 1T'S R34LLY NOT TH4T B4D. 1 DON'T N33D TO SW1TCH ON TH3 L1GHT 1N 4 ROOM 4NYMOR3." She giggled. "NOW, WH4T TH3 H3LL 4R3 YOU DO1NG H3R3? DON'T T3LL M3 TH3Y FOUND OUT ..."

Karkat sighed. "NO, I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO SAVE NEPETA." He decided to tell Terezi everything. She was the one person he could always trust with anything. She also happened to be the only one who knew the color of his blood.

Terezi raised an eyebrow. "SO, 3QU1US 1S H3LP1NG YOU? WH4T'S TH3 PL4N?"

"I DON'T KNOW YET. I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM SINCE THE LAST TIME."

"T3LL YOU WH4T, 1'LL M33T YOU H3R3 1N TWO HOURS. 1 ST1LL H4V3 SOM3 STUFF TO T4K3 C4R3 OF 4ND 1 B3L13V3 YOU DO TOO."

Oh, yeah. The lunch for the guards. "OKAY, GOT IT."

She turned around. "OF COURS3 1 WON'T M3NT1ON TH1S TO 4NYON3 ... UND3R ON3 COND1T1ON."

Karkat squinted his eyes. "WHAT?"

She turned her head to face him. "1 W4NT 1N. DUH. WH3N YOU 3SC4P3, 1 W4NT TO B3 W1TH YOU."

"OH, I MEAN, OF COURSE. BUT, DON'T YOU WORK HERE?"

"1'M STUDY1NG L4W, Y3S. BUT 1'V3 ONLY B33N H3R3 FOR 4BOUT 0.4 OF 4 SW33P."

"WELL, ISN'T THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? I REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS TELLING ME YOUR DREAM WAS TO WORK IN THE COURT ROOM."

She turned away from him again. "Y3S, 1 KNOW. BUT TH1S 1SN'T WH4T 1 W4NTED. 1 W4NTED TO M4K3 JUST1C3. D1D YOU S33 WH4T TH4T TR14L W4S L1K3?" She motioned to the door of the court room. "4ND B3S1D3S, NOBODY T4K3S M3 S3R1OUSLY H3R3. 1'M JUST TH3 BL1ND K1D ... TH3Y'R3 PROB4BLY PL4NN1NG ON G3TT1NG R1D OF M3, 4NYW4Y."

"IN THAT CASE, WELCOME TO THE TEAM."

She gave him another big smile. "1'LL S33 WH4T 1 C4N DO TO H3LP. W3 SHOULD M4K3 4 RUN FOR 1T 4S SOON 4S POSS1BL3." With that, she was gone.

Karkat hurried to finally get that food. He ran past the court room, not hearing the judge sentence the poor troll to death.


	5. Chapter 5

Karkat tapped his foot in anxiety. Terezi was late. She had said she'd meet him here in two hours. Yet here he was, alone. Thoughts crossed his mind as he waited. If Terezi and Equius were here, were any of his other high blood friends here as well? He thought about Feferi. She was the heiress of this lame planet. There were only two reasonable conclusions for where she was. She was either here, at the Arx, or dead. The Empress didn't like competition. But maybe there was a chance Feferi was still alive. She had once told him about having to fight the Condesce at one point in her life. To try and take the throne. He couldn't remember at what age she'd have to do that. He loved Feferi as a friend, but he doubted she could kill the oldest and most experienced troll on Alternia. Then, always at her side, was Eridan. He was sure that snob was here. He probably got a nice room at the very top of the tree. Up there, he could do whatever he wanted all day long. Swear at land dwellers all day long. Just perfect. And what about Gamzee? He thought about him a lot. He used to drown himself in soda when they were little. He just kept babbling about life and "miracles" all the time. Was he still like that? He was said to be the descendant of the Grand High blood, a.k.a. the cruelest thing to ever exist. Thank God Gamzee couldn't remember that when he was high. But what if he stopped drinking? Would he start killing? Karkat shuddered at the thought. And speaking of murder, was Vriska here? Terezi clearly hadn't wanted to talk about her. He doubted it, anyway. She was probably out there somewhere, having an adventure or something. Following in her ancestor's footsteps. Yeah, right. That's it for the high bloods. Now let's see. Kanaya ... He wondered where his moirail had ended up. Was she old enough to go to the brooding caverns yet? It was kind of sad, now that he thought about it. She was the only troll he knew who actually liked the sun. And she wouldn't see it underground. But at least she got to live. Karkat didn't want to think about Sollux. His fate had been sealed the moment he was born. The drones came for him when they were still kids. He was to power one of the Empress' ships. They tried to fight the drones, but of course they didn't stand a chance. Aradia was shouting for Sollux long after he was gone. Aradia. And Tavros. The two on the bottom of the caste system. He had forgotten about them. He looked around. He didn't want to think about it, but ... Was there a chance that they had been ...

"K4RK4T!" Terezi came running towards him.

"GOD, TEREZI, I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T GONNA SHOW."

She waved her hand. "PL34S3, K4RK4T. H4V3 1 3V3R BROK3N 4 PROM1S3?"

"WELL ... HEY, WHAT'S THAT?" he noticed she was holding a piece of paper in her hand.

She stared at him for a second. "OH, TH1S? NOTH1NG. JUST 4 L1ST OF 4LL TH3 N3W PR1SON3RS. 1 H4V3 TO D3L1V3R 1T TO SOM3BODY."

Karkat stared at the paper. He wanted to prove himself wrong. "CAN ... CAN I SEE IT?"

"Y34H, SUR3." She handed it to him.

With a shaking hand he eyed the long list. He saw the name Nepeta Leijon somewhere in the middle. Yeah, ok. He already knew that. He kept reading. He was starting to reassure himself, but then he saw them. The two names he was desperately hoping not to find on the list.

Aradia Megido and Tavros Nitram.

He dropped the list and cursed.

"K4RK4T, WH4T 1S 1T?"

"THEY'RE HERE TOO! ARADIA AND TAVROS! THEY GOT THEM, TOO! THEY'RE PROBABLY LOCKED UP SOMEWHERE IN THE DUNGEONS! FUCK, JUST ..."

He turned away. After the trolls' little group had broken up, those two stayed together. They were a team. They helped each other. Karkat would often see them stealing food from other trolls. Just struggling to survive. He was willing to bet anything that they were the two rust bloods who got arrested for stealing fruit.

Terezi stared at the ground. "W3'LL G3T TH3M OUT, TOO."

"HOW, TEREZI? THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A QUICK LITTLE RESCUE. NOW IT'S TURNING INTO A FULL SCALE RESCUE OPERATION! WE CAN'T BUST THIS MANY PEOPLE OUT."

Terezi's ear flinched. "SOM3ON3'S COM1NG."

Karkat turned around. If this troll heard them, it's game over. He relaxed when he saw who it was.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN WANTING TO TALK TO YOU FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS!"

Equius ignored his statement. "I have spoken with the high blood. He is willing to help you."

Karkat tilted his head. "WHICH HIGH BLOOD?"

"Mister Makara."

"GAMZEE? SO, HE IS HERE?" Gamzee was going to help them. Unbelievable. Well, he might as well take the chance. "EQUIUS, ARADIA AND TAVROS ARE HERE TOO. WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT."

He watched as Equius' cheeks flushed blue. Karkat knew he had a crush on Aradia since forever. He was counting on that.

"I understand." He dabbed his forehead with a napkin. "Of course, we shall get them out as well."

"SO ... 4NY PL4NS?"

"The high blood said there will be a big trial tomorrow. An indigo blood has been charged with treason. It is safe to assume that most of the trolls here will attend it."

That meant less crowded halls. Perfect.

"WE SHOULD GO TALK TO NEPETA. TELL HER ABOUT THE PLAN."

"YOU TWO GO, 1 H4V3 TO ST4Y H3R3. W3'LL M33T UP 4G41N WH3N 1T'S T1M3."

Karkat didn't question this. Terezi somehow always managed to pull through. He nodded, then realized she couldn't see him. "ALRIGHT."

He and Equius ran to the dungeons.


	6. Chapter 6

Karkat stood guard outside the cell as Equius spoke to Nepeta. She was so happy to see him, she could hardly contain herself. They were just discussing the escape plan that would take place the following day.

"terezi is here, too? and gamzee? this is so funny! i mean, our little team is getting together again!"

"Yes, so now there is you, me, Karkat, Terezi, Gamzee, ... Oh, yes, also ..."

"yes, i know! kanaya is here, too! We have to get her out as well!"

That caught Karkat's attention. He turned towards Nepeta. "WAIT, WHAT? KANAYA? WHERE ..."

Equius put a finger to his lips. Karkat covered his mouth. That's it, no more talking. Okay, maybe whispering, because he really wanted to hear about Kanaya.

He heard a troll call out from down the hall, "Is something wrong over there?"

"There is nothing wrong." Equius called back. "Simply a loose shackle. I have already tightened it."

"Alright then." The troll turned around. "We can't risk someone escaping, can we?"

"No, certainly not."

Nepeta giggled. "just like kanaya. she made a silly excuse, too. but the guards here aren't that bright. thank god for that, right?"

Karkat was careful to whisper now. "NEPETA, YOU WERE SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT KANAYA? DON'T TELL ME SHE'S LOCKED UP, TOO."

Nepeta shook her head. "nah, she's the seamstress. she was here yesterday to make the uniforms. i tried to talk her into escaping with us, but she said she'd have to think about it. i don't know when i'll s33 her again, though."

"That is not a problem. Please, excuse me." Equius easily ripped a sleeve off of Nepeta's uniform. Then, he did the same with the other. "Oh, no. This simply won't do." He spoke loudly, making two guards turn their heads toward him.

"What's wrong now?"

"Do you see this?" Equius motioned to Nepeta's ripped shirt. "This is not the acceptable uniform for a prisoner. Someone had better call the seamstress to mend it. We wouldn't want to end up in trouble, would we?"

"Y-yes. Of course. Right away." The two trolls shot up the stairs. They returned only a couple of minutes later with a troll, definitely Kanaya, between them. Karkat saw her eyes widen, but she managed to stay serious. She excelled at that.

"Oh, Yes. I See. I Shall Mend The Uniform At Once." She got into the cell and slowly got to work.

"Good." Equius turned to the guards. "We shall stand guard here. You two should search the blocks. There might be other slips we aren't aware of."

They nodded and ran off.

Nepeta smiled. "now that's how you clear a room."

Kanaya dropped her things and hugged Karkat tightly. They had an amazing relationship, the two of them. Almost like one a lusus would have with its troll.

"I Thought I Would Never See You Again ..." Tears were slipping down her cheeks.

"YEAH, ME TOO. WE'RE GETTING OUT. TOMORROW. BUT WE'LL NEED A GOOD PLAN, BECAUSE OUR GROUP ISN'T THAT SMALL."

Nepeta counted on her fingers. "so, again, there's you, me, kanaya, equius, terezi, and gamzee. right?"

"ADD TWO MORE TO THAT LIST."

Nepeta tilted her head. "who else?"

"ARADIA AND TAVROS. THEY'RE LOCKED UP IN BLOCK B, I THINK."

"what? are all our friends here?"

"THAT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE. BUT I DOUBT SOLLUX IS HERE. YOU KNOW ..."

"oh, yeah."

They were quiet for a minute, just taking it all in. That's eight trolls in total. They would have to break eight trolls out of the biggest prison on the planet.

"I shall speak with mister Makara again. We could get Aradia and Tavros out and then meet up in front of the tunnels." He lowered his voice. "I happen to know there is a secret tunnel near block C. No one has used it in years, but it should still do."

Karkat nodded. "TOMORROW THEN? WHAT IF WE DON'T MAKE IT TOMORROW?"

Equius stood up. "Then I highly doubt any of us will be getting out." He left to speak with Gamzee.

The plan was made. Like Equius had said, most of the trolls wanted to take part in the big trial. It was the perfect time to break out. There were still a couple of guards left, but it was better than dozens of them in every block. Equius and Gamzee had volunteered to guard blocks A and B. They would get the two rust bloods out and wait for the rest of their team outside the tunnels. Karkat would murk around blocks E and F. Kanaya would pretend to mend uniforms that had mysteriously started to tear. Nepeta didn't have much choice but to wait for the signal. Terezi had been informed about the plan. She was to meet them down in the dungeons. Then, they would all make a run for it. Karkat didn't even want to think about all the things that could go wrong. He just had to believe that they could make the plan work.

Early the next night, trolls were already lining up to go to the court room. There was laughter, trolls were betting whether the indigo blood would be executed or not, and so on. Basically, the high bloods saw this trial as a oppurtunity to forget work for a day and have some fun. And the locked up low bloods didn't complain, either. They would finally get some peace. As soon as the coast was clear, Karkat dashed to Nepeta's cell. It was now or never. She was already waiting for him. He unlocked first the door and then her shackles. Her legs were shaky from being in a sitting position for days, so he put an arm around her. They picked up Kanaya along the way. Trolls inside the cells were now shouting at them. They had quickly figured out what was going on and didn't want to be left out. Karkat saw Terezi a couple of feet in front of them. He called out to her and she gave him one of those maniacal grins.

"COME ON!"


	7. Chapter 7

Terezi, Karkat, Kanaya and Nepeta dashed through the dungeons, trying to ignore the desperate shouts from the imprisoned trolls. Someone had sounded the alarm, so now loud ringing was pounding in their ears. They had minutes, maybe, to get the others and escape.

"Where Were We Supposed To Meet Up, Again?" shouted Kanaya over the noise.

"AT GATES A AND B!" answered Karkat. "THEN MAKE A BREAK FOR IT THROUGH THE TUNNEL NEAR BLOCK C. EQUIUS AND GAMZEE SHOULD ALREADY BE WAITING."

And they were, right in front of the twin tunnels, marked A and B. Gamzee seemed sober for once. More than that, he looked determined, ready to fight. But that wasn't the thing that caused the four trolls to gasp. It was the poor conditions of Tavros and Aradia who lay limp in Gamzee and Equius's arms. You could barely tell who they were, there was so much blood. And they had lost weight. You wouldn't think that was even possible, they'd always been so painfully thin due to the lack of food in the low blood areas. Nepeta ran up to Equius. "oh, no! are they going to be alright?"

"One would hope so. We shall see, Nepeta."

"motherfuckers ..." murmured Gamzee, referring to the high bloods. "I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"

"LET'S JUST GET OUT OF HERE. I DOUBT WE CAN WASTE ANY MORE TIME BEFORE ..."

Suddenly, two guards barged into the block. They locked eyes with the trolls for a second before shouting, "THEY'RE OVER HERE!"

"FUCK, JUST RUN!" Karkat grabbed Terezi's hand and pulled her ahead. They ran past the cells, with six guards following close behind them. They were almost to block C, but could they make it with all these trolls chasing them?

"W3 C4N'T CR4WL THROUGH TH3 TUNN3L W1TH TH3S3 J3RKS R1GHT B3H1ND US!" panted Terezi. "W3 N33D TO D1STR4CT TH3M!"

Equius stopped, the others did too, to see what this was about.

Nepeta tugged on his shirt. "equius, come on! cat you s33 they're gaining on us?"

"Yes, I can see." He carefully handed Aradia over to Kanaya. "Get them out and make sure you get as far away from here as possible."

He ran off before anyone could stop him and disappeared around the corner. They heard the unmistakable sounds of trolls getting punched in the face come from his direction.

"equius!" Karkat grabbed Nepeta, who had tried to run after Equius, and started running again. This could be their only chance.

They finally reached block C and crawled through the tunnel. Nepeta was desperately trying to free herself from Karkat's grip. She slashed at him a couple of times, leaving bright red cuts on his face.

"i have to go back! let me go! i have to help him!"

"NEPETA, WE HAVE TO GO. THIS MIGHT BE OUR ONLY CHANCE TO ESCAPE. I SWEAR, I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET EQUIUS OUT, BUT WE HAVE TO GET OUT FIRST!"

He and terezi still had to drag her through the tunnel, but they somehow managed to get out. They kept running without stopping once. After several minutes they began to slow down, breathing heavily.

"1 ... 1 TH1NK W3'R3 F4R 3NOUGH. 1 C4N'T RUN 4NYMOR3."

"Yes, This Should Do. I Can't Even See The Tree Anymore. Let's Find A Place To Rest."

They wandered around for a little while, until they found a cave. It seemed to be empty, so they settled in. Terezi had managed to get some supplies such as water and bandages from the guards. She handed them to Kanaya, who was already tending to Aradia and Tavros. Karkat dragged Nepeta away from them and sat her down. She was shaking.

"LOOK, I KNOW THIS WAS ANYTHING OTHER THAN EASY. BUT IF EQUIUS HADN'T DONE THAT, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE GOT OUT. LIKE I SAID, I'LL DO MY BEST AND GET HIM OUT. NOW PLEASE, LET'S FOCUS ON OUR CURRENT SITUATION."

He handed her a rag to wipe the tears away. She just needed some time to get over this. It's not easy to leave your moirail behind. Karkat offered Nepeta a hand to help her stand up. They walked over to Kanaya. She had cleaned the blood off of their friends and bandaged the wounds, but the gauzes were already soaked through. They would have to go find some more.

"there were so many of them ..." Gamzee put his head in his hands. "THERE WERE SO MANY BEING HURT AND WE HAD NO MOTHERFUCKING IDEA!"

"What Do You Mean?" Kanaya looked up at him. "I Thought All High Bloods Were Aware Of What Was Happening In The Dungeons."

"yeah, the blue bloods were ... the empress was, but us? NO MOTHERFUCKING IDEA!"

Karkat put a hand on his shoulder. "SHH, IT'S OKAY. BUT DO I UNDERSTAND THIS RIGHT? THE EMPRESS DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE DUNGEONS?"

"nah, we knew about the motherfucking dungeons. but we were told that dangerous criminals were bein put there. y'know, crazy murderers and such. now tell me, DOES TAVBRO LOOK LIKE A CRAZY MOTHERFUCKING MURDERER TO YOU?"

"LOOKS L1K3 TH3 COND3SC3 1S TR1CK1NG TROLLS L3FT 4ND R1GHT. B4S1C4LLY SH3 JUST THROWS TROLLS 1N J41L 4ND M4K3S OTH3RS B3L13V3 1T'S P3RF3CTLY 4CC3PT4BL3. 3XC3PT 1T'S NOT!"

"we have to do something about this. we can't just sit here!"

"NEPETA, WHAT EXACTLY CAN WE DO? GO UP TO THE CONDESCE AND ASK HER TO STOP? MAYBE SHE'LL LET EVERYONE GO IF WE SAY "PLEASE"? NO, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING RASH. IT ONLY BRINGS PROBLEMS."

"but wasn't your sneaking into the dungeons as a guard a little bit rash?"

Karkat could feel his cheeks flush. "THAT WAS UNDER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES."

"All Right, That's Enough. These Two Need To Rest And You're Not Helping By Arguing."

"right ... sorry." Nepeta ran her hand through Aradia's messy hair. "why are they only torturing the low bloods? i mean, when i was there i saw other green bloods get beaten up sometimes ... but not like this."

"I'm Guessing It's Because They're Afraid Of The Psychic Abilities That Low Bloods Usually Posses. By Keeping Their Strength At Bay They Are Reducing The Risk Of Any Of Them Using Their Powers To Escape Or Attack The High Bloods."

"that's horrible! they are the ones who are locking them up fur no reason! i hate the high bloods!" She turned to Terezi and Gamzee. "no offence you guys."

Terezi shrugged. "NON3 T4K3N. 1'M 4 L1TTL3 TOO GR33N FOR TH3M, 4NYW4Y."

Karkat walked to the edge of the cave and sat down. "OKAY, YOU GUYS GET SOME SLEEP. I'LL TAKE THE FIRST WATCH."


	8. Chapter 8

Kanaya watched as the sun slowly rose in the sky. She stuck an arm out of the cave, feeling the warmth on her skin. It was funny, how something that was lethal to most trolls was one of her favorite things. She found comfort in sunlight. It was something she could never quite explain to anyone. But, in the darkness of the night, usually filled with the screams of tortured trolls, the light reassured her that everything would be alright. And right now she could really use some reassurance. Karkat, Gamzee and Nepeta had already gone out to find some more supplies. They had wrapped themselves in some sheets, not only to protect them from the sunlight, but also to hide better. They had decided to venture out during daytime to gather supplies. This way the chances of them getting caught by high bloods were much smaller. But you could never be too careful. Kanaya and Terezi looked after Aradia and Tavros in the meantime. Hopefully, they would wake up soon. Three days had passed and neither of them had even stirred.

Terezi sat down next to her at the cave's entrance. She looked up at the sky and grinned. It was a thing she enjoyed, because she was the only troll who could stare into the sun and not go blind. That would be weird, since she was already blind. It was her own little rebellion against a powerful force which was completely powerless against her.

"1 LOV3 TH1S TH1NG!" she said, referring to the sun. "1 HOP3 1T FR13S 3V3RY TROLL WHO D4R3S TO D3FY JUST1C3!"

"I'm Glad You Agree That What The Trolls At The Arx Are Doing Could Never Be Considered "Justice"."

"4R3 YOU K1DD1NG? SUR3, 4 CR1M1NAL WHO H4S COMM1TT3D 4 CR1M3 D3S3RV3S TO B3 PUN1SH3D. BUT 1'M PR3TTY SUR3 TH4T MOST OF TH3 TROLLS B31NG K3PT TH3R3 4R3 1NNOC3NT. JUST1C3 DO3SN'T M34N PUN1SH1NG P3OPL3 FOR TH1NGS TH3Y H4V3 NO CONTROLL OV3R! D1D TH3Y 4SK TO B3 BORN 4S LOW BLOODS?"

"I Believe You Meant That In A Rhetorical Way?"

"Y3S."

"Then I Agree Completely. But Perhaps The Problem Isn't That They Were Born As Low Bloods."

Terezi turned towards her. "WH4T DO YOU M34N?"

"I Mean The System Is The Problem."

She was about to say more, but stopped when she heard a moan behind her.

"Tavros?" They both crouched down next to him. "Tavros, Can You Hear Me?"

He slowly opened one eye, then looked around frantically.

"wH- wHAT HAPPENED?" He saw the two trolls looking down on him. "k-KANAYA? Terezi? h-HOW ... dID THEY GET YOU GUYS TOO? aRE WE-" His voice sounded broken. Probably because of all the screaming.

"T4VROS, 1T'S OK4Y. W3 GOT OUT. W3'R3 S4F3 NOW." Terezi put a hand on his shoulder.

"wE- wE'RE OUT? uH ,,," He put a hand to his head. "eVERYTHING HURTS ,,, wAIT, aRADIA? wHERE'S aRADIA?"

Kanaya pointed to the troll lying a couple of feet away from him.

"iS- iS SHE OKAY? wE GOT, uH, SEPARATED AT THE ,,, yOU KNOW ,,," He attempted to push himself into a sitting position and winced. "wH- i CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS ,,, i- i CAN'T ,,,"

"Tavros, Please, Calm Down." Kanaya held his shaking hands. "Everything Will Be Alright. I Promise. Please, Don't Move Around Too Much. You Still Need To Recover From ..." Her voice trailed off.

"oH, y-yEAH, oKAY," His breathing slowed down. Kanaya knew better than to remind him of his ordeal. Who knows what he had been through? She handed him some water.

Terezi frowned. "4R4D14 1S ST1LL OUT COLD ... SHOULDN'T SH3 H4V3 WOK3N UP BY NOW?"

"sHE- sHE'S BEEN THROUGH, uH, wORSE THINGS THAN ME ,,, sHE ALMOST KILLED A GUARD WHEN WE WERE CAPTURED, yOU KNOW, wITH PSIONICS," He shut his eyes to his friends. "tHEY- tHEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE SHE WOULDN'T, uH, dO IT AGAIN," Tears streamed from his eyes. "i MOSTLY FAKED UNCONSCIOUSNESS SO THAT THEY WOULD LEAVE ME ALONE, bUT aRADIA ,,, s-sHE REFUSED TO SUCCUMB TO THEM ,,, i-i COULD H-HEAR HER SCREAMS ,,,"

Kanaya shook her head. "Get Some Rest, Tavros. Later We Shall See What Is Wrong With Your Legs." She looked at the unconscious troll. "And I Should Probably Have Another Look At Aradia."

Tavros was reluctant to go to sleep, but his exhaustion won in the end. Kanaya decided he would be okay, except for the fact that he would probably never walk again. That was unfortunate, but it wouldn't stop him. He was a stubborn little troll. Nothing could ever stop him. Kanaya knelt at Aradia's side. She put a hand on her forehead and flinched. Her skin was cold, much too cold for a low blood such as Aradia, and it lacked pigment. Her breaths were shallow and uneven. She hadn't stirred once since their escape. What if she couldn't recover? Kanaya pushed those grim thoughts aside. Aradia was one of the toughest trolls she had ever known. She had to make it. Kanaya ran her fingers across Aradia's curved horns. They were scratched up and one of them was missing a tip. What in the world had those awful trolls been doing to their friends? She hadn't seen either of them in years. She only worked as a seamstress in blocks E, F and occasionally C. Oh. She suddenly remembered something that had crossed her mind on many occasions.

"Terezi, Would You Happen To Know Why There Isn't A Block D?"

"UHH," Terezi rubbed her temple. "1 TH1NK SOM3 TROLLS ONC3 US3D 1T TO 3SC4P3. 1T W4S R34LLY N34R TH3 SURF4C3, SO 1T W4SN'T TH4T H4RD TO 3SC4P3. TH3 BLOCK W4S TORN DOWN COMPL3T3LY 4FT3R TH4T."

"I See. So, We're Not The Only Ones Who Managed To Escape?"

"NO, BUT WE'RE ON3S OF TH3 F3W." She grinned.

Kanaya wondered what that would mean for the imprisoned trolls. Would the Empress make sure the security was even stricter? They may have just made hell a whole lot worse for many trolls.

Terezi curled up on the floor next to Tavros, who seemed to be having a nightmare already, and shut her eyes. Her fingers closed around his hand and he calmed down a bit. Kanaya stayed up for a few more hours, just observing the outside world. No one ever understood how beautiful it is during daytime. If they could just give the Sun a chance, then they would see that it's not so bad. She bet they could see that many things (or trolls) weren't that bad if they just gave them a chance.

She heard footsteps and narrowed her eyes. Karkat, Nepeta and Gamzee stumbled into the cave.

"we ..." Nepeta stopped to take a few breaths. "we got medical supplies."

Karkat handed Kanaya a big bag. It was full of bandages, shots and bottles of what she recognized to be pain killers.

"This Is Fantastic!" She noticed Nepeta was holding her wrist. "What Happened? Where Did You Get These?"

Gamzee smiled. "man, it was amazing. you should've seen her." He put a hand around Nepeta's shoulders. "we found a camp of three trolls and she motherfucking took them on! we got so much stuff, here." He placed another bag on the ground. It was full of food.

"i think i may have broken something ..." Nepeta sat down next to Kanaya.

"It's Just A Sprain. Here." She bandaged her wrist.

"thank you. oh, i also got this from one of the trolls." She held up a small knife. "it's not much, but it's better than nothing!"

Kanaya smiled. "You Should Get Some Rest Now. You Deserve It."

Karkat leaned against a wall next to Aradia. "HAS EITHER OF THEM WOKEN UP YET?"

"Yes, Tavros Did A Couple Of Hours Ago. He Can't Walk, But Should Be Alright."

Gamzee was glad to hear that. He curled up next to Terezi and Tavros. "motherfucking miracles, man." He was asleep in a couple of minutes.

"SO, THEY'LL BE ALRIGHT?"

"Should Be."

Karkat nodded and closed his eyes.

Kanaya stayed up a little longer and then fell asleep just as the Sun began to descend from the sky.


	9. Chapter 9

Karkat woke up to screaming. His eyes shot open and darted around, trying to indicate the source. Then he realized what was going on. Kanaya was already at Aradia's side. She was trying to calm her down, but it wasn't working. Aradia was still trashing around and awful pained screams were still piercing the air.

"aRADIA ,,," Karkat saw tears running down Tavros' cheeks. Gamzee put his arms around him.

"Nepeta, Could You Hand Me That Bag?"

Nepeta shook her head. "huh? oh, sure!"

Kanaya dug out a bottle and filled a shot with the content. Oh. Pain killers. Good thinking. Karkat doubted Aradia could take any more pain.

"Karkat, Hold Her Still, Please."

He nodded and knelt next to the pair. Aradia began to relax almost immediately after Kanaya finished. She stopped screaming and her breathing slowed down.

"It's Quite A Strong Medicine. It Should Do For Now," Kanaya whispered.

Karkat could use some of that himself. His heart was still pounding like crazy.

"Tavros, It's Okay Now."

He lifted his head from Gamzee's neck. "i-IT WAS LIKE THAT OR, uH, w-WORSE BACK THERE ,,, s-SHE'S STILL IN P-PAIN ,,, iSN'T THERE SOMETHING WE CAN, uH, DO?"

I'm Afraid We'll Just Have To Wait For Her To Recover ... It's A Good Thing We Have These now." She held up the bottle. "They'll Make The Whole Thing Easier For Her. Tavros, Are You Sure You Don't Want Any?"

He shook his head. "sHE NEEDS IT MORE THAN, uH, i DO,"

Nepeta and Terezi sat down next to Karkat.

"the bandages are soaking through," Nepeta said in a small voice when she gently trailed Aradia's back with her hand.

"It's Because Of All The Moving ... The Wounds Still Aren't Completely Healed. I'll Change Your Bandages As Well While I'm At It, Tavros."

Karkat stood up and walked to the edge of the cave. Kanaya had this under control and he needed some fresh air. He sat down outside and looked up. It was already night. He watched the stars and the two moons, and thought. There, they were all out of that place and (mostly) alright. Now what? Were the high bloods looking for them? He hoped not, but they would still need to keep moving once Aradia was better. They had to get as far from the Arx as possible. Just like Equius had ordered. Just thinking about him made Karkat's heart sink. He had promised Nepeta they'd get him out, but it was probably already too late. He couldn't tell her that. She might do something stupid, like go to the big tree herself. None of them could go back. He was so lost in thought he almost didn't notice Nepeta sit down next to him.

"IS SHE OKAY?"

Nepeta nodded her head. "like kanaya said, it's a good thing we got those supplies." She smiled. "i f33l like we could take on anyone. i mean we did chase away three teal bloods."

Karkat sighed. He knew where she was going with this. She was really confident now.

"NEPETA, DO YOU TRUST ME?"

She smirked. "i don't know, karkat. why should i?" she said playfully.

"WELL, WHAT IF I SHOWED YOU THIS?" He took her knife and made a cut across his palm. He watched Nepeta's eyes widen at the sight of bright red blood.

"karkat ..." She was at loss for words. "what ..."

"THERE, YOU ARE NOW ONE OF THE THREE TROLLS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS, INCLUDING ME. NOW DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT YOU? I MEAN, ALL OF YOU." He motioned to the cave. "THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT GETS YOU KILLED JUST FOR EXISTING. I'VE SPENT YEARS HIDDEN AWAY FROM EVERYONE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE RISKS. AND WHEN I FINALLY TOOK A RISK, THERE WAS A BIG CHANCE THAT EVERYTHING WOULD GO WRONG. BUT I DID IT FOR THE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT. AND I'M TELLING YOU THIS, BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU. NOW, DO YOU TRUST ME?"

They were both silent for what seemed like forever. Then, Nepeta nodded.

"GOOD. NOW, LISTEN TO ME. WE CAN'T GO BACK. I KNOW I PROMISED, BUT THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN GO BACK THERE AND SURVIVE. I'M REALLY SORRY."

She wiped away a tear. Then another. "karkat, i have to go. i'm not expecting all of you to go with me, but equius is my moirail. i have to help him."

"NEPETA, I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO. LOOK, I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S ALREADY TO LATE TO HELP HIM. I'M SORRY. BUT, IT'S ALREADY BEEN FOUR DAYS. THERE IS NO WAY THEY'D KEEP A TRAITOR ALIVE FOR THAT LONG." So much for not telling her. She couldn't keep it in anymore. He held her as she cried into his shirt. They stayed like this for a while, but then Karkat thought he heard something. Or someone.

"NEPETA, HOLD ON. I HEAR SOMETHING."

She stopped crying and looked up. There were voices coming from a little further ahead. Karkat and Nepeta quickly got up and ran into the cave. Kanaya was just finishing with bandaging Tavros's back. She looked up at Karkat and raised an eyebrow.

"SOMEONE'S COMING! ACTUALLY, WE HEARD A BUNCH OF VOICES. JUST HIDE!"

They all pressed themselves against the wall and waited. Nothing. Maybe Karkat was just slowly losing it. But then three blue bloods walked by the cave. They didn't see the seven trolls hiding a couple of feet away. Karkat listened to their conversation.

"Two high blood executions in three days. Incredible." Karkat heard Nepeta stifle a sob. He put a finger on his lips.

"Maybe you were on to something when you said the system was breaking."

"Yeah, well, you can't expect it to last forever. Revolution is happening."

The third troll shushed them. "If the Empress hears you talking about this, we're all dead!"

"Oh, yes. I bet she can hear us all the way from the Arx. Oh, wait. She's too busy preparing for the duel."

Karkat heard a laugh. "I bet the little one doesn't stand two minutes against the Empress. She's killed too many heiresses to count."

"It will still be fun to watch, though."

The trolls were now too far away for Karkat to hear them. He slowly moved away from the wall and let out a breath.

"what was all that about, anyway?" Nepeta wiped more tears away.

Terezi locked eyes with Karkat, even though she couldn't see him. They were both thinking it.

"F3F3R1."


	10. Chapter 10

"THERE IS THIS DUEL THAT EVERY HEIRESS MUST GO THROUGH ONCE SHE REACHES THE RIGHT AGE. I GUESS FEFERI IS OLD ENOUGH NOW. WHAT ARE WE, ANYWAY? 8.3 SWEEPS OR SOMETHING? I'VE LOST COUNT. BASICALLY, SHE HAS TO FIGHT THE EMPRESS AND KILL HER IN ORDER TO BECOME THE NEW EMPRESS OF ALTERNIA." Karkat looked at Terezi. "DID I MISS ANYTHING?"

"NO, TH4T'S 4BOUT 1T."

Nepeta looked at the ground. "what if she loses?"

"IT'S A DUEL TO THE DEATH. IT SHOULD BE PRETTY OBVIOUS."

"do you think she can do it?" she asked quietly.

Karkat sighed. "I DON'T KNOW ... I MEAN, THE EMPRESS IS THE OLDEST AND PROBABLY THE BEST FIGHTER ON THE PLANET." She didn't stand a chance. But Karkat didn't say that out loud. He decided he shouldn't think about Feferi. Just another troll from his past that didn't matter anymore. He had to let her go, just like the countless others before her.

"I Have A Question." Kanaya felt for Aradia's pulse. She'd been doing that for the past four days. "Is Feferi Even Aware Of What Is Happening In The Dungeons?"

Karkat narrowed his eyes. Good question. There is no way Feferi would ever approve with that. And if the Heiress to the empire didn't know, and neither did the purple bloods, according to Gamzee ... Did anyone with blood higher than blue?

"I DOUBT IT." He looked at Kanaya. "THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS FAKE, ISN'T IT?"

She gave him a sad smile. They were both on the same page. "I Was Thinking About It Yesterday. It Wouldn't Be A Bad Thing If Feferi Took The Throne, That's For Certain. This Planet Needs A Different Leader."

Bold thinking, sure. But Karkat agreed with her completely. There was no system. The Empress kept most of the information secret from the high bloods and kept the low bloods locked up. That way she still had control over everything, but no one could interfere. She had to be taken down. But how?

Kanaya suddenly turned around. "I Think She's Coming To. Aradia? It's Kanaya. Can You Hear Me?"

There was a moan. Aradia opened her tired eyes a bit. She murmured something.

"What Was That?" Kanaya leaned closer to her.

"tavr0s ..."

"He's Alright. You Both Are."

She let out a breath and winced. Karkat couldn't stand to see her like this. She had always been the tough one of the group.

"JUST GIVE HER SOME MORE OF THAT STUFF. PAIN KILLERS."

Kanaya nodded and dug out the bottle again. It seemed to help.

"aRADIA ,,," Tavros tried to get up, but he couldn't. That would take some getting used to.

"i've got you, tavbro." Gamzee picked him up and carried him over to Aradia. He held her hand and she looked up at him and smiled.

"t0ld y0u we'd get 0ut," she murmured.

Tavros explained to her how they had got out. He talked in a hushed voice that made the short story sound like a ... well, legend. Karkat had to remind himself that he had been there and it wasn't that glorious or heroic. But he didn't interrupt. He had to agree with Tavros on one thing. They had incredible luck. All of them. And to think none of them would be here if he hadn't decided to go save Nepeta. Wait ... Where was Nepeta?

He glanced around the cave. She wouldn't ... He ran outside, ignoring Kanaya who was asking where he was going in such a rush. There was no sign of Nepeta outside, either. Terezi and Gamzee caught up with him.

"K4RK4T, WH4T TH3 H3LL 4R3 YOU DO1NG? WH4T'S WRONG?"

"NEPETA'S GONE! PROBABLY JUST NOW! I SHOULD'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION!" He put his head in his hands. "I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!"

"bro, none of us noticed. don't motherfucking worry." Gamzee patted his back. "where could she have gone, anyway?"

"THE ARX, WHERE ELSE!" He knew she wasn't over Equius yet. And now she knew about Feferi and how could he have ever thought that someone like Nepeta would just sit there and do nothing? No, she always had to jump through the fire and keep running. She didn't have time to wait for the flame to go out. He should've been watching her.

"W3LL?" Terezi tapped her foot.

"WELL, WHAT?"

"W3LL, 4R3 W3 GO1NG TO FOLLOW H3R OR WH4T?" She didn't even wait for him to reply.

Gamzee ran after her. "hey, karkat, coming or what?"

Karkat was suddenly glad he had friends like these. "JUST A SEC!"

He poked his head into the cave. "WE'RE GOING AFTER NEPETA. DON'T FOLLOW. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK."

He ran off before Kanaya could protest.

The three trolls ran to the big tree. Only when they were half way there did Karkat suddenly remember they were criminals. Amazingly, there were no guards around. They were all probably at the tree to watch the duel. After all, when are you going to get an opportunity to watch the Empress professionally skewer one of her descendants?

They stopped in front of the Arx and hid in some bushes. There was just one guard at the front entrance. Come to think about it, it wouldn't be that hard to break in (or out) right then. As Karkat was trying to think of a plan, Terezi whispered, "WH3R3'S G4MZ33?"

Seriously? Now Gamzee had run off, too? He scanned the entire area around them and almost had a heart attack when he spotted him. He was climbing up the side of the Arx! The guard hadn't even noticed him! Karkat held Terezi's hand and they crept up to where Gamzee was climbing. He was like a mountain goat!

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

Gamzee just pointed up. Karkat had to squint, but then he noticed what Gamzee was trying to reach.

"NEPETA."

Terezi turned her head to face him. "WH3R3?"

"AT THE TOP OF THE FUCKING TREE. COME ON."

He helped Terezi climb as they followed Gamzee. This was even crazier than last time they were here. After maybe half an hour they finally reached the top. Nepeta was crouching in front of a window. There was a look of horror on her face.

Karkat took a breath. "NEPETA, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

She quickly turned around. "why did you guys follow me? you shouldn't be here!"

"NO SHIT! I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE. WELL, NONE OF US SHOULD BE HERE! COME ON, WE'RE GOING BACK BEFORE THEY CATCH US!"

"but, karkat ..." she started.

"yo, check this out," Gamzee called from the window.

"WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR ..." He stopped. A large room could be seen through the window. It was filled with trolls, who appeared to be cheering. Karkat couldn't hear anything through the thick glass. But it was the two trolls in the middle of the room that got his attention. One was undoubtedly the Empress. Her trident was raised in a triumphant fashion. It was glimmering with bright fuchsia blood. The other troll, much younger, he recognized her as well. It was definitely Feferi. She had changed quite a bit. She was much taller, she looked older, too. Her long hair was tied up in a braid that fell to her knees. Her trident lay a couple of feet away. Karkat wondered why she wouldn't pick it up. Then he noticed she was barely standing, pressing her hands to her stomach to cover a large wound. Blood was dripping through her fingers, forming a puddle on the ground.

The four trolls could only watch as Feferi crumbled to her knees in front of the roaring crowd.


	11. Chapter 11

Eridan Ampora had never been more afraid in all his life. He had come to the Arx a long time ago. Feferi and him had been welcomed here by (and as) royalty. They had everything they could have ever wanted and more. As the sweeps went by they had grown closer. He had been sure their relationship would soon surpass that of a moirallegiance and become something more. He couldn't imagine anyone more fitting to be his matesprit than Feferi. He had been planning to propose this idea to her just the previous night. They had gone to one of the balconies to look at the stars. It had all seemed perfect. But then Feferi told him what awaited her the next day. She would have to fight the Condesce herself. And win. She had tried not to show it, but she was scared. Who wouldn't be? When they were little they used to fantasize about Feferi becoming Empress all the time. She would list all the things she'd do to make the life of Alternian trolls even better. It had all seemed so simple. But now that the throne was just one fight away, it seemed impossible. Eridan was scared. Probably even more than Feferi. He didn't want her to get hurt. He had suggested something last night that even took him by surprise. He had suggested they make a run for it. He didn't care about Feferi becoming Empress anymore. He didn't care about becoming the second in charge of the entire planet (she had promised him that). The only thing he cared about was Feferi's well-being. She had looked at him with a shocked expression. How dare he suggest such a thing? He urged her to think about it. They could find another tree. It didn't even have to be a tree. They could start a new empire. He knew he had sounded crazy, but it was the truth. He just wanted her to get away from this place that they had learned to call home. This wasn't home anymore. It was a death trap. She had promised him that she would consider it, and then went back inside to prepare for the duel. Eridan couldn't sleep that day. He had a horrible feeling about all of this.

Now he was trully mad at himself for not being convincing enough. For not getting her out in time. He watched Feferi fall to her knees in front of his very eyes. The Condesce had her trident raised high. The crowd was yelling at her to finish Feferi off. Eridan didn't know what he was thinking. He probably wasn't thinking at all. His heart took over. He sprang up from his chair and ran up to her. He scooped Feferi up in his arms, trying to ignore her pained sobs. He ran out of the arena as fast as he could. He didn't dare look back. He could hear the Condesce's laugh pierce the air. She was shouting at the guards to let him go. That a child wasn't worth the trouble. He ran through the empty tree and outside. He didn't know what to do now. Then he heard a shout.

"HEY, HOLD UP!"

He turned around. A group of trolls was running towards him. Great, couldn't they just mind their own business?

"stay back! i'm wwarnin you! i havve a gun!"

He didn't, really. He'd had to leave it outside the arena. Only the two trolls who were fighting were permitted weapons. But the group didn't know that.

"OH, MY GOD. IT IS YOU. ERIDAN!"

He squinted. The trolls looked familiar ... He began to remember ...

The cranky one who wouldn't show his blood color. "kar?" And the olive blood. Nepeta. And ... Terezi and Gamzee? They had disappeared about a week ago! Were they with the trolls who had supposedly escaped?

"ERIDAN, WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED. COME ON!"

He took a step back and held Feferi closer. "i don't trust any land dwwellers. apparently, you can't trust anyone." He frowned at Terezi and Gamzee.

"SERIOUSLY? ERIDAN, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK OF US. BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT HER TO DIE IN YOUR ARMS?"

He glanced down at Feferi, who had fallen unconscious from the blood loss. She didn't have much time left.

"KANAYA CAN HELP HER. ERIDAN, PLEASE."

He clenched his teeth. "fine. but if this is a trap, i'm gonna ..."

"HON3STLY, 3R1D4N, WHY WOULD W3 DO TH4T? NOBODY H4T3S YOU, G3T OV3R 1T."

He shot her an annoyed glance, but it didn't do much. She couldn't see him.

"come on! hurry up!" Nepeta was already running.

Eridan sighed. He didn't have a choice. He ran after the group.

It looked like the escapees had found a cave to hide in. How come nobody had found them yet? Were the guards even looking for them? The Empress didn't see any of them as a threat, obviously. Just a bunch of children.

"KANAYA? WE'RE BACK! WE NEED TO ..." A troll ran out of the cave and hugged Karkat tight. Then she gave him an angry look.

"What Were You Thinking? And Nepeta! Why ..." She froze when she saw Eridan. "What Are You ..."

"kan, kar said you can help her. please!"

Kanaya took one look at Feferi and pursed her lips. "Bring Her Inside. Quickly."

Eridan noticed two more trolls huddled up against the wall. Oh, yeah. He remembered these two losers ... They were watching him with wide, scared eyes. Tavros put his arms around Aradia, who seemed to be struggling to stay awake.

"Place Her Here."

Eridan did as he was told. Anything to help Feferi, even if it meant taking orders from a green blood. He gave Kanaya some space, so she could work. Besides, he really didn't want to see Feferi die right there. Karkat came up to him.

"MAN, I'M SORRY. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'VE HAD A BUNCH OF NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES THIS WEEK. BUT WE GOT THROUGH THEM. FEFERI CAN, TOO."

He nodded. What could he do but believe?

Karkat turned to the two rust bloods. "IT'S OKAY, GUYS. HE WON'T BE TRYING ANYTHING." He squinted his eyes at Eridan. "RIGHT?"

"kar, i doubt i could evven if i wwanted to." He was pretty much stuck here. Going back to the Arx wasn't an option. And he was too tired to do anything, anyway.

Nepeta sat down in the corner. "eridan, can i ask you something?"

He rolled his eyes. "wwhat?"

"do you know what is happening in the dungeons of the arx?"

All eyes turned towards him. "uh ... wwhat's to knoww? criminals are put there. that's it."

Karkat turned away. "I FUCKING KNEW IT. NONE OF YOU ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON."

"okay, kar, i'm gonna need more information. wwhat's this about?"

Karkat let out a breath. "LOOK. I WENT TO THE FUCKING TREE TO GET NEPETA OUT AND WELL, TURNS OUT EVERYONE I KNOW WAS THERE, SO WE ESCAPED TOGETHER." He pointed at Aradia and Tavros. "THESE TWO WERE HALF DEAD WHEN WE FOUND THEM. LOW BLOODS ARE BEING LOCKED UP AND TORTURED PRETTY MUCH TO DEATH AND NOBODY BUT THE EMPRESS SEEMS TO HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT THIS!"

There was a period of silence.

"so ... wwhat do you wwant to do about it?"

"SERIOUSLY?"

"wwhat? if the empress ordered it, then there is probably a good reason for it. maybe the loww bloods are dangerous and need to be locked up."

Aradia attempted to sit up and winced.

"aRADIA ,,, mAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T, uH ,,,"

"n0, eridan, how can y0u say such a thing?" Her voice was scratchy. She looked him in the eyes. "y0u have n0 idea what it's like. having t0 hide all the time. w0rrying that y0u might n0t make it t0 the next day. fearing y0ur 0wn kind. y0u can't make an argument like that because y0u d0n't even kn0w what y0u're talking ab0ut." She leaned back on Tavros and closed her eyes.

"Alright, Enough Of That." Kanaya put the bandages away. "Eridan, You May Not Be Aware Of It, But Something Needs To Be Done. For The Better."

He sighed. "fine, wwhatevver." He knelt next to Kanaya. "is fef alright?"

Kanaya had treated the wound and bandaged it. Feferi was still breathing, so that was a good sign.

"We'll See," she said simply. "Now Get Some Rest. It Looks Like You Might Be Here For A While."


	12. Chapter 12

Feferi was dead. She was sure of it. She had been stabbed by the Condesce. She had lost. The last thing she thought about before losing consciousness was Eridan's proposal to run away. Why hadn't she listened to him? Now it was too late. She was dead.

But one thing still bothered her. If she was dead, why was she still in so much pain? Death was supposed to be quiet, calm. She heard faint voices. Probably just spirits. Feferi had never pictured the afterlife like this. She tried to move and cried out in pain. The voices were getting closer and closer ...

"fef? fef!"

Eridan? Was he dead, too? She could faintly remember him picking her up after she got stabbed. Oh, no. The Condesce had killed him, too. He didn't deserve this. She should've listened to him ...

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Eridan was calling for her. She wanted to respond, but couldn't. All she managed was a whimper. Now he was calling for another troll. She didn't quite catch the name. Her mind was fuzzy. She felt a sting on her arm. Someone, a female troll, was reassuring her everything would be okay. She felt herself calming down. The pain in her abdomen subsided. She was so tired. Sleep took over.

...

The next time Feferi woke up the pain wasn't so bad. Her mind was clearer. She opened her eyes a bit. "-Eridan?" she muttered.

His eyes flew open and he turned to face her. "fef? how do you feel? are you in pain?"

Ok, Feferi decided she wasn't dead after all. But what had happened? "-Eridan, )(ow did we ..."

"it's ok. wwe got awway. you're ok."

She glanced down. Her stomach was bandaged. "Did you ..."

"no, kan fixed you up. you remember her, right? wwe used to hang out wwhen wwe wwere kids."

Kan? Oh, Kanaya. That's right ... What was she doing here?

Someone knelt next to her. "Eridan, You Were Supposed To Tell Me When She Woke Up."

Feferi looked up at the troll. "Kanaya?"

It was her, all right. She brushed some strands of Feferi's hair from her face. "How Are You Feeling?"

"Better than before ... T)(ank you ... for everyt)(ing."

"You Were Lucky. The Trident Didn't Penetrate Anything Vital. You Should Still Take It Easy For A While. Eridan, Would You Get Some Rest Now? You Haven't Slept In Two Days."

He sighed. "fine." He laid down next to Feferi and held her hand. He must've been really tired, because he was snoring in less than a minute.

Feferi looked around. They were in a cave. And there was about a dozen other trolls there. Her eyes widened. She recognized them. There was Gamzee (she'd wondered where Terezi and him had disappeared to), Aradia and Tavros in the corner. And Terezi, Karkat and Nepeta a couple of feet away. They were all asleep, obviously. She could see sunlight from outside the cave.

"Kanaya?" She leaned closer to Feferi. "W)(y is everyone )(ere? )(ow ...?"

Kanaya put a hand on her cheek. "Don't Talk Too Much. You Still Have To Regain A Lot Of Strength. But To Answer Your Question, We've All Escaped From The Arx And Wound Up Here."

Feferi blinked. "You were at t)(e Arx? I never saw any of you and I was t)(ere for a really long time ..."

"Yes, I Assumed So ..." Why did she look so troubled? What had happened? "You See, Aradia, Tavros and Nepeta Were Locked Up In The Dungeons At The Time. I Was Employed There As A Seamstress. Karkat Broke In To Save Nepeta. In The End We All Managed To Escape Together."

That still didn't make much sense. "But w)(y were t)(e t)(ree of t)(em in t)(e dungeons? T)(ey didn't commit any crimes, did t)(ey?"

"No, That Was Simply The Empress' Command. This Is Actually What I Wanted To Talk To You About."

Feferi listened as Kanaya told her about the dungeons and what went on there. She couldn't believe it. Well, actually, the Condesce was perfectly cruel enough to come up with a plan like this and put it to motion. But how long had this been going on? How many low bloods were suffering at that very moment? She was so angry with herself for not trying harder to beat the Condesce. She would've done whatever was in her power to help the trolls of Alternia. All of them.

"I tried my best ... I tried, I swear ... S)(e was too strong ..."

Kanaya wiped the tears off Feferi's eyes. "It's Not Your Fault, Dear. The Important Thing Is That You're Still Alive. You Can Still Have Another Chance To Beat Her And Make Things Right."

"But )(ow? I lost ..."

"No, You Didn't. Keep In Mind, The Winner Is The Troll Who Kills The Other. You're Not Dead."

She had to think about that for a minute. It made sense. The Condesce had failed to kill her. She still had a chance. But could she do it?

"I ... I don't t)(ink I'm capable of killing )(er ... Not on my own."

"You're Not On Your Own. We're Here To Help You. Don't Worry. Now, You Should Really Get Some Rest."

Feferi gave her a weak smile. They were here for her. She wasn't alone. That gave her hope. She drifted into sleep once more.


	13. Chapter 13

"YOU SURE YOU'RE WELL ENOUGH TO BE OUTSIDE?"

Aradia shot him an annoyed glance. "i'm fine. besides, i can't stay in that cave f0rever. i needed t0 get 0ut."

They didn't go too far. Just enough to get away from everything. Karkat and Aradia both needed some time to breathe. Too much had happened in the past week. It was amazing how they had all found each other again. Well, almost everyone. Nobody had the slightest idea where Vriska was. Terezi had said she wasn't at the Arx. That was believable, unless she was one of the prisoners. Probably not. She was too clever to get herself locked up. Aradia stopped walking and looked up at the sky.

"WHAT IS IT?"

She watched the stars for a while, then spoke in a hushed voice, "d0 y0u ever w0nder ab0ut him?"

"ABOUT WHO? OH ... RIGHT." Sollux. Karkat hated to admit it, but he kind of forgot about him. It was such a long time ago. The drones came, they took him away. Another order from the Empress. He hated her more and more with each day. "I'M SORRY."

"i kn0w i sh0uld accept the fact that he's ... g0ne, but ..." She bowed her head and shut her eyes.

"NO, IT'S OKAY. I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW. HE COULD STILL BE ALIVE." The chances weren't that big, but many improbable things had happened so far. Karkat had learned not to decide on anything too quickly.

"alive, dead, what d0es it matter? he's g0ne. it's all because 0f that witch ..."

"WE'LL SET THINGS RIGHT. DON'T WORRY." He still had no idea how they could do that, but some reassurance never hurt.

"i just ..." She gritted her teeth. "i want t0 make her pay. it's n0t just s0llux. it's n0t just l0w bl00ds. every0ne is 0n the b0tt0m, she is 0n the t0p. d0esn't any0ne see it?"

"NO, I'M SURE THEY CAN," he spoke in a low voice. "THEY'RE JUST AFRAID."

"well, i'm n0t. i c0uld take 0n her anytime. as l0ng as i'm standing in fr0nt 0f her and n0t l0cked up somewhere."

Karkat didn't want her going anywhere near the Condesce. He didn't want any of his friends to try and fight her. He remembered how quickly she had taken down Feferi. It had just taken one blow with the trident. Feferi was alive, thank God. But she had been lucky. He had a feeling they wouldn't have such luck if they attempted an attack on the Empress. He tried to change the subject.

"HOW LONG WERE YOU AND TAVROS EVEN LOCKED UP THERE?"

She thought for a moment. "it's hard t0 say. y0u can't really tell day apart fr0m night undergr0und ... i'm guessing it was five days, give 0r take a few."

Five days ... How had the two of them survived? It still amazed Karkat when he thought about it. They were a lot tougher than anyone had thought.

They stopped walking when they reached a cliff. The sea could be seen from where they were standing. The moons illuminated the surface and colored it green and pink. It was a lovely sight, Karkat thought. He didn't see things like this often. They sat down on the grass.

"HOW ARE YOUR PSIONICS? HAVE YOU TRIED USING THEM AT ALL SINCE YOU WOKE UP?"

She sighed. "0f c0urse i've tried. i d0n't kn0w ... they're still here, but i can't really d0 much. it hurts t0 even try. kanaya said i just need s0me time t0 regain my strength, but ..." She squinted her eyes.

"WHAT?"

"what's that?"

Karkat followed her gaze. There was something in the water. He stood up. "IS THAT A SHIP?"

"n0t just 0ne."

She was right. Karkat counted four ships, but it was dark, so he couldn't see that well. There might have been more.

"WE SHOULD TELL THE OTHERS ABOUT THIS."

Maybe the ships weren't important. Maybe they should just leave them be and forget about it. But Karkat didn't want to take any risks. He helped Aradia to stand up and they made their way back to the cave. The trolls looked so peaceful, it made it hard for Karkat to bring some more possibly bad news. Nepeta tilted her head.

"is everything okay?"

"I DON'T KNOW. ERIDAN."

He looked up from a sleeping Feferi. "wwhat?"

"DO YOU HAPPEN TO OWN ANY SHIPS?"

He smirked. "that's a stupid question, kar. of course i fucking owwn ships. a lot of ships, actually."

"quit sh0wing off." Aradia sat down next to Tavros. "just tell us, are any of your many ships anywhere near here?"

He frowned at her. "as a matter of fact, no. the closest would be a couple of thousand miles in the east. wwhy?"

"BECAUSE WE SAW SOME EARLIER. I ASSUMED THEY WERE YOURS."

"TH3N ... WHOS3 4R3 TH3Y?"

Eridan shrugged. "many sea dwwellers owwn ships. did you take a look at the flags?"

"FLAGS? I COULD BARELY SEE THE FUCKING BOATS FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING!"

Tavros rubbed his bandaged arm. "bUT, uH, dO YOU THINK THEY'RE DANGEROUS?"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE CAN'T STAY TO FIND OUT. THEY'RE NOT THAT FAR AWAY. WE'RE MOVING SOMEPLACE ELSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."

Nepeta's ear flinched. She tilted her head towards the entrance of the cave. "there is someone outside."

The trolls fell silent and listened. Karkat saw a figure run by.

"STAY HERE. I'M GOING TO CHECK THIS OUT."

Terezi stood up and grabbed his arm. "1'M GO1NG TOO."

Karkat didn't try and stop her. Not that he could, anyway. They carefully walked outside. It was a bit too calm for the situation to not be suspicious. They each picked up a long stick. It was better than nothing. Karkat was reassuring himself that what they had heard before was just stray leaves or something, but then Terezi suddenly turned around and somehow managed to block a sword that was aimed right for Karkat's neck.

He stared at the sword, trying to breathe, then looked at Terezi. Her eyes were narrowed, her teeth clenched. "WH4T 4R3 YOU DO1NG H3R3?" she growled.

Karkat looked up at the attacker. It was a female troll. That was the first thing he noticed. Her thick hair fell to her waist. She was dressed in a dark blue coat. He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. Correction - eye. One of them was covered with an eyepatch. Karkat flinched. She was grinning at him.

"Whaaaaaaaat? Can't I stop 8y and visit my dear friends once in a while?"

"W3 4R3 NOT FR13NDS! NOW PUT TH4T SWORD 4W4Y!"

She smirked and lowered the sword.

Karkat recognized her voice. The annoying way in which she spoke.

"VRISKA?"


	14. Chapter 14

"VRISKA?"

"Oh, so you do recognize me? That's good to hear."

Karkat looked her over again. "DID YOU ... JOIN THE PIRATES?"

She laughed. "No, they joined me! I go 8y captain now, if you will."

She knelt to pick up a hat, which she must've dropped earlier. A single blue feather was neatly tucked in it. But Karkat paid more attention to her left arm. He blinked a couple of times to make sure his eyes weren't messing with him. Vriska's arm was made of metal. So, she was missing an eye and an arm? That couldn't be from hers and Terezi's fight, could it? It didn't matter. Right now it looked like someone was going to lose more body parts. Terezi sneered at her.

"1 COULDN'T C4R3 L3SS 4BOUT WH4T YOU GO BY! 1F YOU DON'T G3T OUT OF H3R3 R1GHT NOW, 1'LL ..."

"You'll what? Our last fight didn't go so well, as you can see. Oh, w8 ..." She grinned. "No, you can't."

Karkat put his arms around Terezi's waist to prevent her from charging at Vriska.

"VRISKA, YOU SHOULD JUST GO. WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I told you, I just stopped 8y for a visit."

"YEAH, AND TRY TO KILL ME WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!."

She waved her hand. "I didn't recognize you, okay? I just saw Terezi and decided to have some fun."

Of course killing people was her idea of fun. She squinted her one eye. "There are more trolls around, aren't there?"

Karkat stared at her. How did she know?

"No need to answer. I can feel it. Just tell me, are they with you," She raised her sword again. "Or do I need to get rid of them?"

"VRISKA, NO. THEY ..." No turning back now. "THEY'RE WITH US. JUST THIS ONE FUCKING TIME, PLEASE DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD TEAR US ALL FURTHER APART."

She frowned at him. "I've changed, Karkat. I'm aware of the fact that my past actions weren't exactly ... well, nice. You're my friends. Right?"

Karkat didn't want to answer that. He still wasn't sure about this. Vriska continued before Terezi could protest.

"Why don't you tell me what you are doing here? Friends trust each other, right?"

Her sword was still raised and not that far from Karkat's neck. He swallowed. He didn't want to get on her bad side. He needed to protect his friends. If Terezi and him fell right now, what would stop Vriska from killing the others? They wouldn't stand a chance against her. Three of them were injured. He believed that Nepeta would put up a fight, maybe Gamzee, too. What about Kanaya and Eridan? And what if Vriska's pirate crew was hiding in the bushes right now? No, he just had to play along for now. If Vriska decided to make a move, they would have to try their best and fight. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"VRISKA, WE ..." Terezi shot him an angry glance, which he tried to ignore. "WE'VE ESCAPED FROM THE ARX."

Her eye widened.

"THERE ARE SEVEN MORE TROLLS HIDING CLOSE BY." He really shouldn't be telling her so much, but he couldn't stop himself. "YOU REMEMBER OUR OLD GROUP? ALMOST EVERYONE IS HERE."

She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers. "Is that so? You're telling me that nine trolls have managed to escape from the Arx?"

"IT'S THE TRUTH!" He could tell the information didn't faze her. But he knew the next part would. "WE'RE GOING TO TAKE DOWN THE EMPRESS."

That did it. She stared at him for a long time. Then a smile crept on her face. "You know, I could help you with that."

Terezi tried to free herself from Karkat's tight grip. Fuck, she was strong. "W3 DO NOT N33D YOUR H3LP! NOW, 3XCUS3 US FOR 4 M1NUT3."

She and Karkat stepped away from her. Karkat was pretty sure she couldn't hear them from there, but they whispered just to be safe. Terezi shook her head.

"K4RK4T, WH4T W3R3 YOU TH1NH1NG? WHY WOULD YOU T3LL H3R TH1S STUFF? 4ND S1NC3 WH3N 4R3 W3 PLANN1NG TO T4K3 DOWN TH3 3MPR3SS?"

She was right. That was a stupid thing to say. It had popped in his mind and he just blurted it out. But when he thought about it, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. He could see to a change on Alternia. He had no idea how they could do that, though.

"I KNOW, I'M SORRY. IT WAS A STUPID IDEA. RIGHT NOW WE JUST NEED TO GET RID OF HER."

Vriska tapped her foot. "Well? What do you say?"

Terezi walked up to her. "1 4LR34DY TOLD YOU. W3 DON'T N33D YOUR "H3LP". W3 C4N'T 4FFORD 4NY MOR3 1NJUR13S."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you think, if I had any intentions to hurt any of you, I would have done it already? I could just take control. I could get it over with in less than a minute. You remember, right?"

Terezi clenched her teeth. Was this how Vriska had blinded her? By mind control? Karkat shuddered at the thought. But she had a point. She had the power to kill them right there. So, why didn't she?

"My ships sail in a week. I'm offering you help. You don't have much time to decide."

Terezi took another step closer. They were now standing face to face. "NO."

Vriska shrugged. "As you wish. Good luck on winning without me." She turned around and started walking away. "You're going to need it."

Terezi and Karkat made their way back to the cave. Karkat just hoped they had made the right choice.

"C4N YOU B3L13V3 TH3 N3RV3 SH3 H4S?" Terezi grumbled. She turned to Karkat. "4ND T3LL M3 4G41N, W3R3 YOU B31NG S3R1OUS? 4BOUT TH3 F1GHT?"

Karkat rubbed his temple. "FUCK, I DON'T KNOW. BUT THINK ABOUT IT. WHAT IF WE MANAGED TO DO IT? THEN FEFERI WOULD BE THE EMPRESS. WE COULD FIX ALL OF THIS."

She bit her bottom lip. "1 ST1LL DON'T KNOW ... W3 SHOULD 4T L34ST W41T UNT1L 4LL OF US 4R3 H34L3D."

"OF COURSE. I DIDN'T EVEN SAY WE'LL ACTUALLY DO IT. WE'LL SEE ABOUT IT."

They had to speak with the others about this. They would discuss it while they waited for things to get better. Even if they couldn't go through with it, there is nothing wrong with dreaming, is there?


	15. Chapter 15

"T)(e t)(rone room is rig)(t on t)(e top. We'd )(ave to get past so many guards ..."

Feferi scratched some more lines into the dirt with a stick. She had drawn a map of the Arx as best as she could. It was obvious that what they were planning was not going to be an easy task. Karkat and Terezi had discussed the plan with the others. It turned out Feferi and Kanaya had the same idea. Everyone agreed that it was the best thing they could do for not only the low bloods, but the entire planet. They would sneak into the Arx and kill the Empress.

For now they were just trying to think of an actual good plan. It had been a full week since Eridan and Feferi joined them. She seemed to be recovering quite well. Karkat suspected it was because of a medicine they had found outside the cave a couple of days ago. Nobody had any idea how that had got there. Maybe it had fallen out of some passing troll's backpack. It didn't really matter. It did wonder on wounds, helping them heal faster and ease the pain a bit.

Feferi twirled one of the many colorful beads in her hair. "Maybe if we sneak t)(roug)( t)(e back door ... No, no, t)(ere are trolls t)(ere, too ..."

Karkat watched as she drew more lines and erased them immediately afterwords, mumbling about hallways and guards.

"WELL, ARE THERE ANY SECRET TUNNELS ON THE UPPER FLOORS? WE COULD USE THOSE."

Feferi looked up from the sketch and raised an eyebrow. "Secret tunnels?"

"YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST THOUGHT ... NEVERMIND, FORGET IT. STUPID QUESTION."

"No, no, no. It wasn't stupid. Please, go on," Feferi urged him, suddenly alert.

"WELL, SINCE THERE ARE TUNNELS IN THE DUNGEONS ..." He saw her eyes widen in shock. "WHAT, DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS, EITHER."

She shook her head. "Why would I? It's never been important to me. Is t) (ow you escaped? Secret tunnels?"

"YEAH. DO YOU THINK THERE ARE ANY UP IN THE TREE AS WELL?"

She tapped her fingers on the ground. "Maybe, maybe ... O)( my COD, Karkat! T)(is could be it! T)(is could be our c)(ance!"

"DON'T GET TOO EXCITED JUST YET. IT'S JUST AN IDEA. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF ..."

She turned to their friends, who were skulking a few feet away. "Gamzee! Terezi! Come )(ere for a second, please!"

She explained the idea to them and asked if they knew anything about the tunnels.

Terezi frowned. "TO B3 HON3ST, 1 W4SN'T 3V3N 4T TH3 4RX LONG 3NOUGH TO SPOT 4NYTH1NG L1K3 TH4T. 4ND B3S1D3S ..." She waved her hand in front of her face. Right, good point.

Gamzee observed the sketch of the Arx for a couple of minutes, then picked up a stick and made a tiny X somewhere on the third floor.

"i think there's one here ... i'm pretty sure i once saw someone just motherfucking disappear in that hallway." He shrugged. "there's probably a lot more than just this one, but that's all i know."

Feferi smiled. "And t)(e t)(rone room is not t)(at far from it! We could sneak inside t)(roug)( it! We could do t)(is!"

Karkat thought for a moment. "OK, BUT WHERE IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE TUNNEL?"

"i saw something the last time we were there!"

Nepeta put her hands on Karkat's back and took a look at the map over his shoulder. "right there!" She pointed at the area away from the Arx that was, if Karkat remembered correctly, covered with trees and bushes. It was entirely possible that a door was hidden there.

Feferi clapped her hands. "W)(ale, it looks like we )(ave a plan!"

Eridan appeared behind her. "wwell, wwe'd still havve to get to the throne room and beat the empress and evverythin ... i don't knoww ..."

Karkat knew Eridan was still not on board with the whole idea. He couldn't blame him. He didn't want any of his friends going near the Empress just as much as Eridan didn't want Feferi to go and fight her. He was constantly trying to talk her out of it, but her mind was set. She said there was no other way. She had to do this. Karkat didn't try to stop any of them. He had already tried that last night. They all seemed so eager to go through with this. Well, except for Tavros, who shook at the very idea of going back there. But he said he still wanted to help, even though he couldn't walk. Karkat just nodded. He wasn't sure how Tavros could be of any help, honestly, but he didn't dare turn down such a brave proposal.

")(onestly, -Eridan, we can do t)(is." She looked up at him and tickled him under the gills. "W)(y do you )(ave to be so grumpy all t)(e time?"

He covered her hand with his. "i'm sorry, i just ... i don't wwant to lose you."

Feferi gave him a sad smile. "-Eridan, I believe in you. Do you believe in me?"

"of course."

"Good." She stood up, but didn't let go of his hand. "T)(at's already )(alf of t)(e way."

Nepeta giggled into Karkat's ear. "this will look great on my shipping wall."

They all made their way back to the cave, probably to talk about the plan with Kanaya, Tavros and Aradia. Nepeta turned around and called out to Karkat, "you coming?"

He shook his head. "I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE. I'LL JUST TAKE A STROLL."

He walked until he reached the cliff. He just wanted to take one last look at the ocean. And maybe say goodbye to Vriska if he saw her. He squinted his eyes. He could see the ships leaving, just like she had said. Karkat and Terezi had decided not to mention the encounter with Vriska to anyone. It would just add to unneccessary drama. Terezi was sure they couldn't trust her, so what was the point? He counted the ships. One, two, three ... Weird, he could have sworn he had seen four of them last time. Then again, it was dark.

Karkat remembered her last words to him - "Good luck. You're going to need it."

He couldn't agree more.


	16. Chapter 16

"OW, GAMZEE, CAREFUL WITH THE HORNS!"

"karkat, you know i can't motherfucking see a thing down here."

"aCTUALLY, uH, tHOSE WERE MY HORNS, sORRY,"

Karkat took a deep breath. They were actually doing it. They had gone to the Arx, found the entrance to the tunnel, right where Nepeta had said it would be, and they were now crawling through it. It was pitch black, so they were making slow progress. Terezi was in front, since she could lead them best. She seemed satisfied that her disability had once again proved useful. The further they went through the narrow tunnel, the more nervous Karkat got. He felt guilty that he had dragged all his friends into this. Well, technically, they wanted to go. But he hadn't stopped them. Aradia, Tavros and Feferi had all reassured him that they were perfectly fine and would go with them. Karkat didn't know how much of that was true, but he went along with it. He had that much respect for his friends, who were practically his family at this point. Was that even possible? A family consists of a troll and their lusus, not a bunch of trolls. But he felt so close to all of them ... It had to count for something, right?

"OK, NOW 3V3RYON3 B3 QU13T," Terezi whispered. "C4N YOU H34R THOS3 VO1C3S? W3'R3 PROB4BLY SOM3WH3R3 1N TH3 TR33."

Now it got serious. About a thousand horrible scenarios flew through Karkat's mind. What if there were trolls waiting at the end of the tunnel? What if they got caught? What if the Empress knew they were coming? He became doubtful. They hadn't thought this out well enough. He wanted to suggest they turn around and maybe come back another day, but Terezi whispered, "TH3R3'S 4 W4LL."

Karkat heard some shifting noises. He figured Terezi was feeling for a latch or something.

"1 TH1NK ... TH3R3'S SOM3TH1NG UP H3R3 ... Y3S, R1GHT H3R3. K4RK4T, COM3 H3R3 4ND T4K3 4 LOOK 4ROUND FOR M3."

He found the spot that Terezi had found. It was a door. He slowly pushed upwards and it opened a little bit. He peered through the opening. They were in the Arx, all right.

"IT'S CLEAR. WEIRD ... WHERE IS EVERYONE?" What if they were hiding and planning on attacking them as soon as they came out of the tunnel? Ok, enough of these "what if"s. It's not helping.

"they're purrobably busy somewhere else," Nepeta whispered from the back. "this could be our one chance."

So maybe it was a trap. Maybe they should have just turned around. Regardless, Karkat carefully opened the door and helped his friends climb out. Gamzee carefully pulled out Tavros and closed the door. It looked just like the floor. You could barely see it if you squinted.

Terezi removed a cobweb from her horn. "NOW WH4T?"

"Now," Feferi stepped ahead. "we s)(ould find some weapons."

According to Feferi and Eridan, there were three rooms in the tree that trolls used to store weapons. One in the dungeons in block C, one on the second, and one here on the third floor. Really convenient. They easily found it and began to sort through the piles of weapons. There were no guns, so Eridan settled on a longsword. Terezi, Gamzee, Aradia and Kanaya found some swords as well. Nepeta picked up two daggers, one for each hand. Tavros was convinced to at least take a knife in case he had to defend himself. Karkat found a sickle that fit perfectly in his hand. Feferi picked up a golden trident.

"T)(is used to be my training trident," she said. "It's perfect."

They were all equipped now. At least they were a bit more ready if someone attacked them now. It was still so weird that there were no guards around. Karkat led the group out of the room and across the hallway.

"SO, THERE ARE STAIRS HERE SOMEWHERE, AND WE CAN JUST ..." He froze. Right there, in front of them, stood about a dozen guards. He had been right. They had been expecting them. Karkat raised his sickle and prepared to attack, but none of the guards moved. They just stood there, mouths slightly opened, eyes fixed on something in the distance. It was like they weren't even there, like they were ... in a trance.

Karkat dared a step closer and waved a hand in front of a troll's face. Nothing. They were hypnotized. Or maybe ...

"NO. YOU'R3 WRONG. NO." Terezi stepped next to him.

"WHAT? I DIN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING."

"BUT YOU W3R3 TH1NK1NG 1T. 1'M T3LL1NG YOU, 1T'S NOT POSS1BL3."

Mind control. That's what was on his mind. He knew precisely one troll who had mind control powers. He hadn't seen her since last week, but ...

"HOW DO YOU KNOW? SHE OFFERED TO HELP, REMEMBER?"

Terezi stabbed her sword in the ground. "SH3 DO3S NOT H3LP! SH3 ONLY 3V3R C4US3S TROUBL3! TH3R3 H4S TO B3 4NOTH3R 3XPL4N4T1ON FOR TH1S."

Terezi was stubborn. She just wouldn't accept that maybe Vriska had changed. Their friends were getting confused.

"who offered to help? what's going on?" Nepeta asked.

"NOBODY, FORGET ABOUT IT. WHAT'S GOING ON IS WE HAVE A FREE PASS UPSTAIRS. COME ON."

They didn't have time for this, but Karkat promised himself he would find Vriska later. He needed to thank her. He never thought he would do that some day.

The trolls made their way up some more sets of stairs, occasionally passing trolls, who made no attempts to stop them. They were almost to the top. Suddenly, Karkat heard a growl. He stopped and so did the others.

"What Was That?" Kanaya slowly asked.

More growls were heard. Karkat's eyes widened. Beasts. So many beasts. The animals seemed to be coming out of nowhere. Vriska's mind powers didn't work on beasts, only trolls. One of them jumped on Karkat, snarling, sharp teeth showing. Karkat slashed at it, but its skin was too hard. It barely made a scratch. The beast suddenly stopped slashing at Karkat. It got off him and stood there, watching him. What now? The other beasts stopped growling, too. Their eyes wide open and empty. Karkat turned around. Tavros had his fingers pressed to his temples.

"i'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS," He winced and a beast let out a snarl. "gO,"

Gamzee held him closer to his chest. "you heard him. GO."

"BUT ..."

"1'LL ST4Y W1TH TH3M." Terezi turned to Karkat. "GO, JUST B3 C4R3FUL, OK4Y?"

"YOU TOO."

The six trolls dashed upstairs. Karkat just hoped that Tavros could hold it. They had to hurry. They were now on the top floor. Feferi pointed ahead.

"T)(at's t)(e t)(rone room. Ready?"

They all nodded.

"T)(en let's do t)(is."


	17. Chapter 17

"Ready?"

They all nodded.

"T)(en let's do t)(is."

Feferi and Karkat kicked the door open. The slamming sound echoed through the room and caused the troll inside to turn away from the window. She was tall, with big horns, just like Feferi's, and a condescending look on her face.

"So, you are t)(e little brats w)(o )(ave causing trouble in my palace," she said through clenched teeth. She got a good look of each of them with narrowed eyes, then paused at Feferi. "You! You're supposed to be D-EAD! I KRILLED YOU!"

"No, you didn't," she said calmly. ")(ere's anot)(er c)(ance for you."

She charged the Empress, who immediately produced a large trident and easily blocked the blows.

"Come On! Let's Help Her!" Kanaya and Eridan attacked the troll from behind, leaving cuts on her back and legs. She just flinched and turned around, managing to cut Kanaya across her stomach. Eridan quickly pulled her out of the way, but the Empress was still advancing. Karkat saw Nepeta spring up to her and claw at her face with the daggers, making her scream out either in pain or in rage. Probably both.

"you turned us into a pyramid!" Nepeta shouted as the Empress tried to throw her off her face. "and you put yourself on top!"

The sea troll roared in rage and pinned Nepeta to the wall by her throat with one hand.

"Do you see anyone complaining about t)(e system? Well?" she pressed on.

Nepeta couldn't answer; she could barely breathe.

"T)(e only ones responsible for t)(is are you ignorant children! W)(atever )(appens, it's all your fault! Let me teac)( you, once and for all, w)(ere your loyalties s)(ould lie!"

She raised her trident and aimed it at Nepeta's heart.

"NO!" Karkat screamed.

Amazingly, the Empress stopped. It took Karkat about three seconds to realize she hadn't stopped voluntarily. She was struggling to move, but some invisible force kept her frozen in space.

"what are y0u waiting f0r?"

Karkat turned around. Aradia was clutching her head, as if she were suffering from a headache.

"g0, i can't h0ld her f0r l0ng!"

Karkat nodded and advanced. He jumped on the Empress and slashed with the sickle, managing to cut her across the eye. She bellowed in pain and struggled some more, until she finally managed to break free. Aradia let out a cry and Karkat knew the time was up. The Empress let go of Nepeta, who sat gasping for air on the floor, and knocked Karkat aside with the back of her trident. He hit the floor with a thud.

"kar, wwatch out!"

He groaned and opened his eyes. The Condesce was towering above him, her face and arms scratched up, one eye closed with fuchsia blood flowing from the wound. If he thought she'd looked angry before, now she was absolutely furious. Her lips were drawn back, showing her sharp teeth. Her remaining eye was focused on his left arm. Karkat glanced down and noticed a gash there, bright red blood staining his shirt.

"I will not," she said slowly through gritted teeth, "be touc)(ed by A MUTANT!"

She stabbed at him with the trident, but he narrowly dodged it by scrabbling to his knees and quickly moving out of the way. She kept stabbing and he kept dodging until he felt his back press against the wall. She raised her trident up high above her head. There was an evil smile on her face.

"Now, you low bloods will learn your place!"

Karkat closed his eyes. He just wanted it to be quick. He wished they hadn't done this. He wished his friends were safe and somewhere far away from here. Now it was too late. He waited for the end to come, but it never did. Instead, he heard a gasp. He slowly opened his eyes. The Empress was still there, but the smile on her face was gone. Her mouth hung open in utter shock. Karkat wondered what was wrong. Then he noticed the three prongs sticking out of her chest. The weapon was drawn back, causing the Empress to let out one more gasp, look Karkat right in the eyes, and fall to the ground, dead.

Feferi stood behind her, panting, eyes wide. For some time, everyone stood still, just trying to take a breath. Feferi dropped her trident and offered Karkat a hand. He took it and stood up. He quickly remembered to cover the wound on his arm, but it was apparently too late for that. Everyone had seen. Feferi just gave him a sad smile.

"We'll get you a bandage for t)(at. Don't worry," she said quietly.

Right then, Terezi, Gamzee and Tavros appeared in the doorway. Terezi was scratched up, Gamzee had a long gash across his arm, and Tavros was unconscious, but otherwise they seemed fine.

Terezi opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get a chance, as about a dozen guards burst into the room. They stood there, mouths open, just staring at the scene. Nine slightly injured kids, a bloody floor with several different colors mixed together, a dead Empress.

Their eyes darted around in pure confusion. They didn't dare to move, but stood completely still, as if awaiting orders.

Eridan stepped forward and got down on one knee in front of Feferi. The guards followed his lead.

"all hail feferi peixes," he said. "empress of alternia."

...

It was amazing how quickly the behavior of the trolls at the Arx had changed. Feferi's first command as Empress was the immediate release of all captive trolls. The high bloods dropped their weapons at once and began to care for the injured. And there were many. The infirmary wasn't big enough to accommodate all the trolls, so some were put into the building blocks. It was obvious to Karkat that his assumption had been right. The high bloods weren't the real villains here. There was only one, but she was gone for good now. Without her, it seemed like all the evil had been sucked out of the tree. Karkat watched the trolls tend to those, who up to this point had been considered their inferiors, with the utmost care. He thought it suited them much better than torturing the trolls. They all worked hard for two days, high bloods, low bloods, mutants, it didn't matter. They were all equals now. Finally, it seemed like everyone had been tended to. The dungeon was torn down, except for block F, just in case any actual criminals showed up. You could never be too careful.

Feferi's second command was the return of all space ships and release of the helmsmen. The nine friends watched as the ships landed in front of the Arx one by one. They kept their eyes peeled for their long-lost friend. They were beginning to lose hope, but then they spotted him. Sollux took some shaky steps as he got out of a ship. He was obviously exhausted, barely standing, but he looked overjoyed when he saw the trolls waving at him. He smiled wide and waved back. Aradia laughed and ran over to him. He caught her and hugged her tightly. Neither of them was strong enough to support the other, so they collapsed in a heap of hugs and kisses. And no one dared disturb them.

That evening, after respects were paid to the dead and Feferi made a speech about a bright new era beginning, Karkat went out on a balcony to look at the sunrise. He was a bit surprised to find Nepeta there.

"HEY," he started.

She turned around, then smiled as she realized who it was. "oh, hey."

He leaned on the railing beside her. "YOU OKAY?"

She nodded. "yeah, i was just thinking about him ..."

Karkat had watched her light up a blue candle for Equius about an hour ago. She had suggested that all the trolls do this for their dead friends. She said it was a thing green bloods sometimes did. She thought it was sweet and Karkat had to agree.

"I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT EQUIUS. I SHOULD'VE DONE MORE ..."

She shook her head. "he's not dead, karkat."

"NEPETA, YOU HEARD THERE WERE EXECUTIONS. AND HE WASN'T IN THE DUNGEONS. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND INSENSITIVE, BUT ..."

"no, he's not dead. i can f33l it. i'll find him, you'll s33. i'll go out and ..."

Karkat sighed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She stopped talking as her face flushed green. She turned her head away from him. He smiled.

"IT'LL BE OKAY. YOU'LL SEE." His fingers locked around hers and she turned to look at him. "COME ON, WE COULD REALLY USE SOME REST."

She gave him a smile and they walked inside, hand in hand, not looking back at the sunrise that bathed the Arx in a soft yellow light.

...

The end. Thanks for reading! I'll probably post the sequel once I write it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll post more chapters if someone requests so. I'll also possibly add pictures (sketches) to the story once I draw them.


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